The paper is dedicated to some peculiar functions of one of the most frequent items in Russian spontaneous speech, "", which formally being a word, is in fact more of a functional item). Using a Russian speech corpus ('One Speech Day' sub-corpus) we explored the historical change of the item; from an interjectionally used euphemism for an extremely rude slang word meaning 'whore'- Through an acceptable colloquialism- To an almost meaningless clitic. So the evolution of this word begins at the point of being absolutely unacceptable in everyday speech, continues through being common and existing in any kind of neutral speaking, and ends as an ornamental word that probably lost the connection with its first meaning completely. The final item does not have any meaning, lacks grammar categories, is not marked by intonation and has almost no emotional connotation. Normally such words are mostly used by men; but in this particular case gender does not play any role.